Chapter 100 Doubt

Shen Qingyuan's chest heaved violently as he stared intently at Shen He's overly calm eyes, as if trying to dig out her hidden calculations.

The hall was dead silent; even the breathing of Lin's mother and daughter in the corner was barely audible.

Shan's sharp eyes swept back and forth between Shen He and Shen Qingyuan, finally landing on her son with a subtle urging.

Shen Qingyuan gritted his teeth, veins popping out on his forehead.

After a while, he seemed to squeeze out a few words from between his teeth:

"good!"

"I want to hear what you want to say!"

He flicked his sleeves suddenly, turned around and walked towards the inner courtyard.

“Follow me!”

Shen He followed calmly, ignoring the scrutinizing glances Shan was giving him.

The father and daughter walked one after the other through the corridor and finally stopped in front of the door of the Shen family ancestral hall.

The heavy wooden door was pushed open, and a cold breeze mixed with the scent of old wood and incense and candles hit me in the face.

The light in the ancestral hall was dim, with tablets of the Shen family's ancestors enshrined in the middle. Smoke curled from the incense burner, and the atmosphere was solemn and dignified.

Shen Qingyuan walked to the futon first, lifted his robe, and knelt down heavily.

Chen He remained silent and slowly knelt up on the mat beside him.

The cold ground blew through the thin fabric and seeped into my bones.

Chen He looked at the densely packed tablets in front of him, a barely perceptible hint of self-mockery curling up the corners of his mouth.

Here again.

Kneeling like this again.

The last time she had a "serious talk" with her father here was because she wanted to marry Xiao Jingchi. At that time, her father was also so furious and thought she was crazy.

How long has it been?

I unexpectedly changed to an even more shocking topic, and I had to talk to him here, on my knees.

Why does she have to be in this posture whenever she wants to talk to her father about something serious?

She took a deep breath and suppressed the subtle sense of absurdity in her heart.

"Father."

She spoke first, her voice sounding a little vague in the empty ancestral hall.

"Daughter knows why you are angry."

"My second sister's incident has caused a huge uproar in the city, even implicating His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Empress. The Shen family's reputation has indeed been cast a huge shadow."

She paused, feeling her father's body suddenly tense up and his breathing becoming heavier.

"You are worried about the Shen family's century-old reputation and the future of your brothers and sisters. Your daughter understands."

Her tone remained steady, and no emotion could be heard.

"But if..."

Shen He tilted her head slightly, and in the dim light, her eyes looked particularly deep, as if hiding an endless cold pool.

"Second sister Chen Jiao, she simply..."

"Isn't she the daughter of the Shen family?"

“——!!!!”

Like a bolt from the blue!

Shen Qingyuan turned his head suddenly, his eyes wide as copper bells, bloodshot with horror and rage!

"you--!"

He almost jumped up from the futon, and the finger pointing at Chen He trembled violently!

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

"I think you are really crazy! Crazy!"

His voice was cracked and hoarse with extreme anger, echoing in the ancestral hall, and even the ashes in the incense burner trembled slightly.

"Chen He! Do you know what you are talking about?!"

"Slandering your own sister! How dare you utter such outrageous words in front of our ancestors?!"

"I think you've been possessed by the evil monk from Putuo Temple!"

Facing his father's roar, Shen He still knelt straight, without even his eyelashes trembling.

Her calmness was like a basin of ice water poured on Shen Qingyuan's anger, but it aroused a deeper chill and suspicion.

"Father, please calm down."

Chen He raised his eyes and looked at his furious father with clear eyes.

"My daughter is not crazy, nor is she possessed."

"The daughter just wants to ask the father to think carefully about it."

"Think back, how did you get together with Shan?"

Shen Qingyuan choked and his face instantly became extremely ugly, as if an old scar had been uncovered, and he felt both ashamed and angry.

"What does this have to do with this?!"

Chen He's voice was piercing with a hint of coldness, speaking slowly and steadily:

"Did father forget?"

"Back then, my biological mother was injured while giving birth to my younger brother, Ah Ce, and she passed away not long after..."

When talking about his biological mother, the rage in Shen Qingyuan's eyes faded slightly, and was replaced by a touch of unspeakable pain and guilt.

"You were sad and depressed for many years because of this."

"Later, you led your troops in battle against the Northern Di people. You were severely wounded by an arrow and narrowly escaped death before being carried back to the capital..."

Chen He's eyes were fixed on his father's face, not missing any slight change in his expression.

"The old doctor who treated you at that time used very strong medicine to rescue you from the clutches of the King of Hell."

Shen Qingyuan's pupils suddenly shrank!

"Although he saved your life, afterward, regarding matters between men and women, although you were still able to... be humane..." Chen He's voice lowered, but every word was clear, "But the old doctor told you at the time that because the medicine was so powerful and damaged your foundation, you would never be able to have children in this lifetime."

Shen Qingyuan's face suddenly turned pale! His lips trembled, as if he wanted to refute, but he couldn't say a word!

Shen He was so young, how could she know about this? !

Chen He didn't give him much time to think and continued in a cold voice:

"And Grandmother..."

She emphasized the word "grandmother".

"She told you that the old doctor was exaggerating. You're not seriously ill and just need to be well nursed back to health, right?"

Shen Qingyuan was shocked all over and looked at Chen He in disbelief, his eyes filled with horror!

Chen He met his gaze, his tone becoming increasingly cold:

"During the time you were recuperating..."

"Grandmother 'sympathized' with you because you had no one to take care of you, so 'kindly' arranged for her niece, Shan Zhuyu, to stay by your side to serve you day and night..."

"Then, there was Chen Jiao."

There was deathly silence in the ancestral hall.

Only Shen He's cold voice continued.

"But father..."

Chen He's gaze was like a sharp blade, cutting through the hypocritical appearance.

"When Chen Jiao was born, she was two months premature!"

"A baby who was born two months premature was white and plump at birth, crying loudly, just like a full-term baby..."

"Did you really not have any doubts at all at that time?"

Chen He's question was like a heavy hammer, hitting Shen Qingyuan's heart hard!

He staggered back a step, holding onto the altar behind him and barely able to stand steady. His face was as pale as paper, his eyes were dull, and there was only endless shock and confusion!

Suspect?

How could he not have doubted it?

But at that time he was immersed in the joy of having a "daughter" again, and Shan was constantly comforting him. In addition, Shan Zhuyu's tenderness and little doubts were deliberately ignored and suppressed by him!

Now that Chen He brought it up again, those forgotten details rushed into his mind like ghosts!